By AMY ROLPH, SEATTLEPI.COM STAFF

Published 10:00 pm, Monday, November 15, 2010

The next University of Washington president need not have much of a sense of humor but should be able to rake in the cash, according to a new survey of UW students.

Most students believe maintaining educational quality and reducing the size of tuition hikes will be the two most pressing challenges for the next president, the survey found. Squeezing financial support out of the deficit-plagued state came in as the third-biggest challenge.

During Emmert's time as president, the university culminated a $2.6 fundraiser campaign. Wise said in October that preparing for another capital campaign will be one of her top priorities this year.

The university distributed the survey of skills and characteristics students would like to see in the next UW leader as part of the search process. Only slightly more than 600 responded.

The ability to raise funds from private, public, and governmental sources was ranked as a top skill, along with a commitment to promoting excellent teaching and the ability to work with different groups of people inside and outside the university.

Students ranked integrity and relationship-building skills as the top characteristics needed a new president. Humility, a sense of humor, the ability to handle stress and an appropriate demeanor rated near the bottom, along with experience working with elected officials and knowledge of the research grant process.

The survey also offered options for what the next presidents priorities should be. Students ranked "quality in terms of programs and professors" first, followed by a commitment to low tuition and affordability, and maintaining the UW's reputation as a top research institution.